Slices
Prepare
Recall doing something in your own strength, and something in God’s strength. What was the difference?
Bible passage
Remember your Creator
in the days of your youth,
before the days of trouble come
and the years approach when you will say,
‘I find no pleasure in them’–
2 before the sun and the light
and the moon and the stars grow dark,
and the clouds return after the rain;
3 when the keepers of the house tremble,
and the strong men stoop,
when the grinders cease because they are few,
and those looking through the windows grow dim;
4 when the doors to the street are closed
and the sound of grinding fades;
when people rise up at the sound of birds,
but all their songs grow faint;
5 when people are afraid of heights
and of dangers in the streets;
when the almond tree blossoms
and the grasshopper drags itself along
and desire no longer is stirred.
Then people go to their eternal home
and mourners go about the streets.
6 Remember him – before the silver cord is severed,
and the golden bowl is broken;
before the pitcher is shattered at the spring,
and the wheel broken at the well,
7 and the dust returns to the ground it came from,
and the spirit returns to God who gave it.
8 ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’ says the Teacher.
‘Everything is meaningless!’
The conclusion of the matter
9 Not only was the Teacher wise, but also he imparted knowledge to the people. He pondered and searched out and set in order many proverbs. 10 The Teacher searched to find just the right words, and what he wrote was upright and true.
11 The words of the wise are like goads, their collected sayings like firmly embedded nails – given by one shepherd. 12 Be warned, my son, of anything in addition to them.
Of making many books there is no end, and much study wearies the body.
13 Now all has been heard;
here is the conclusion of the matter:
fear God and keep his commandments,
for this is the duty of all mankind.
14 For God will bring every deed into judgment,
including every hidden thing,
whether it is good or evil.
Explore
The teacher begins with instruction to young people to focus their lives on God, because ageing and death approach quickly: ‘Remember your Creator in the days of your youth’ (v 1). Verses 1 to 5 give a picture of ageing, describing the failure of our senses (vs 2–4), the loneliness of old age (v 4) and increasing physical frailty (v 5). Finally, verses 6 and 7 describe death. We are but dust, and to dust we shall return (v 7; see also Genesis 3:19). So the teacher repeats his opening reflection on life (v 8; see 1:2): ‘Meaningless! Meaningless!’
In verses 9 to 14 the teacher and his teachings are recalled. Mention of the shepherd in verse 11 prompts thoughts about God as being more intimate than the Creator God of verse 1. Verse 12b is a well-known proverb. What do you think this might mean in the overall context of Ecclesiastes?
This leads to the teacher’s conclusion (vs 13,14). His words provide an antidote to the meaninglessness and vanity of life without God, and of people living in their own strength (which the teacher has explored so thoroughly). Given all the big questions he has asked throughout the book, think about how satisfying his conclusion is for you.
Respond
Ask the Lord to help you to live in his strength and not in your own, acknowledging that in this way lies fullness of life and joy.
Deeper Bible study
‘Before the hills in order stood, / or earth received her frame, / from everlasting thou art God, / to endless years the same.’1
The final chapter of Ecclesiastes contains the Teacher’s conclusion and an epilogue by an unknown voice, presumably the same person who introduced the Teacher at the start of the book. The Teacher’s conclusion is a statement that God should be present throughout your life. Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, rather than just when you are approaching death. The Teacher finally acknowledges in verse 7 that there is something beyond death as the spirit returns to God. For this reason, he affirms the value of knowing God throughout your life. Confusion returns, however, as his final conclusion is still the same in verse 8 – everything is Havel – vapour – meaningless.
The word remember is an evocative command. It is used throughout the Old Testament as an exhortation to each new generation. Israelites were to remember who God is and what God has done in the physical acts of wearing Scripture and writing it on their door posts.2
Remembering requires recollection of the past but also active interpretation of those memories. As you remember and recall something, you can act more intentionally in the present. Biblical remembering is a collective experience. It is not just about individually recalling what God has done in your life, it is also about connecting into the wider biblical story. We see this most often in the psalms, many of which recall the acts of God – particularly those that took place during the Exodus.
Ecclesiastes has a confusing ending. On one hand, the Teacher is wise, understanding the complexity of life, but at the same time we hear that much study wearies the body. The conclusion is still the same though: fear God and remember him.
Spend time remembering God today. Recall memories of moments when God’s presence has been special to you.
1 Isaac Watts, ‘O God our help in ages past’, 1708 2 Deut 11:16–21
Bible in a year
Read the Bible in a year: Jeremiah 36,37; Psalm 119:25–48
Pray for Scripture Union
Pray for Mission Enabler Lucy Pearson as she continues conversations with churches about revealing Jesus and supports Faith Guides and communities across the north, developing relationships with supporting churches and Faith Guides through Rooted.
